Knitting-machine.



M. C. MILLER.

mums moms.

.Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

, Umso sri-iras PATENT onirica.I

MAX C. MILLER., 0F CUMBERLAND HILL, BHUDE ISLANDjASSIGNOB T0 JENCKES KNITTING MACHINE COMPANY, 0F PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORA- TION 0F RHODE ISLAND.

KNITTING-MACI'IINE.

Bpecication of Letters Patent.

pplieation filed March 12, 1917. Serial No. 154,191.

To all 'whom it ma concern:

Beit known that I, MAX Mums, a subject of the Em eror of Germany, residing at Cumberlan Hill, in the county of Cumberland and State ofRhode Island, have invent-ed certain new and useful Imrovements in Knitting-Machines; and I o hereby declare the fo clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use 'the same. L The invention relates toflmitting machines provided with independently operated spring needles.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a beard pressing mechanism which is simple `and durable in construction, and which is adapted-'to operate etliciently and uniformly in hi h speed and fine gage machines. It is a urther object of the-invention'to rovide a mechanism of this character whic will meetthe practical requirements forproperly pressing the beards of a circular spring needle machine constructed to knit seamless hosiery, and in which a varying ortion of the needles are inactive during t e reciprocatory knitting of the heel and toe pockets.V

To these ends one featurepf the invention contemplates the provision of a beard engaging presser in front of the needles, and a series of transversel v' movable needle pressers mounted backy o the needles' which are forced outward `at the pressing point to bend or deflect the needles forward against thebeard presser. The beard engaging presser is preferably, although not necessarlly, in the form cfa plate extend ing along or about' the series of needles, since Athis form of presser may be so mounted that there is no relative travel between it and the needles along the series, and therefore no lateral pressure on the beards during the pressing. The needle pressers preferably consist of a series of pins mounted in the needle support back vof the needles, and arranged to slide transversely or .substantially at right angles to the needle series. The pins are arran ed to engage the backs oithe needles, an are `preferably forced forward at the pressing` oint by a cam engagin the rear ends of t e pins, and maintaine in proper relation to *the knitting cams during the knitting. Thisv construclowing to be a full,"

tion is simple and rugged, does not require extreme accuracy in the arrangement of the L"needle pressers, and its eliicient operation is not impaired or destroyed by the slight bendin or distortion of the needles which invaria ly occurs during their use, and which would prevent the proper operation of pressers mounted to register with and act on the beards of the needles.

In seamless stockin machines a portion of the needles are usua ly raised so that they are not acted on b the knittin cams during reciprocatory nitting ont e heel and toe, and needles are shifted from the active to the inactive series, and from the inactive to the active series, as the knitting progresses, to narrow 'and then widen the fabric. Outward bending of the inactive needles b the the knitting of this part of the fabric is liable to interfere with the proper feed of the yarns to the active needles. A further feature of the invention accordingly contemplates the revision in a machine in which the nee les are forced outward to bring their beard-s against a beard presser, of means for rendering the mechanism which forces the needles outward inactive upon theneedles in the idle series. In combilling this feature of the invention with the feature outlined above, itis preferred to provide theV needles which may be raised into the inactive series with recesses which will register with the needles pressers when the needles are in the inactive series. With this construction the raising of a needle into the inactive series renders the .correspond-i ing needle presser in'active upon that needle, since the presser will. move forward idly into the recess in the needle when advanced by the resser cam.` y

The eatures of invention outlined above, as well as furtherfeatures referred to in the claims, will he readily understood by lthose skilled in the art from an inspection; of the accompanying drawings and the Yfolpressing mechanism during lowing1 detailed -description 'of the mecha-' nism ustrated therein.

sectional" elevation showing.. so much of a knittingklnachine as is necessary to illus- 'trate 4the application of the present inventionthereto; Fig'. 2 is a detailed sectionalplan view on line 2, Fig.' 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the relation of the In the drawings, Figure `1 is a partial i with a dependin needles in the idle series to the needle press'- ing pins and eain; Fig. l is a plan eiew ot' the partsl indicated in Fig'. l; and Fig. n; it detailed view showingr `a portion of the upper end ot the needle supporting' eylinder.

In they drawings the invention is shown as embodied in a rotary needle machine adapted for knitting seamless atoekings or half hone. The needle cylinder is indicated at 1, and is provided at its` lower end with a gear 2 through which rotary and reciprooator)y motion is imparted to the needle cylinder in knitting.Y the various parts of the. stocking. The needle oyl'inder is; provided vi'ith the usual vertieal grooves D; in whieh the spring needles J1- are mounted to reciprocate. The needles are i-'eeurrd to jachs 5 fitted within the, grooves 2:3, and provided with butts t3 arranged to he :wird upon by the knittinf.r rams, one ot' which is indirated at T, and also to be aeted upon hy the rama for raising the longr butt instep needles up into the inartive series, the pie-kent 'for ef-A fertili;r the narrowing4 and widening, and the cani for 4retnrl'iing; the instep needles to they active series, all olt whieh parta may he of any usual or well-known eonkztrt. tion. The upper end. ot' the. needle o vlinder carries a web holder ring' S provided with radial grooves for the weh holders 9, which may he operated in the usuat'manner by a earn riner 10. l

'lhe uieehanisin for pressing or Yclosing the beards of the. Spring needles. so that they will enter the loops on the needles asfthe. needlesy are drawn downward, preparatory to casting otl' these loops and drawing the new loops therethrough. comprises a heard pressing `member arranged in front of the needles, and needle pressers nionntf-d in the needle supporting rylinder and Aforet-d torard at the pressing point to hend theA nt-e` dies outward and bring their beards againat the hea rd pressing member. In thetconstrnction shown the beard. pressing `member is in theA form of a beard pressing ring 11 stirroundng the needles, and mounted to turn with the `needle cylinder so that there will be no lateral pressureponthe hearth` of the needles when they are forced against the ring, The beard pressing ring is provided flange surrounding a rib 12 on thewebho der ring S, and held thereon liy a 'clamping holt 1,3. The needle pressers consis'tfo'f a series of pins 14 mounted to moveradiallyA in ythe upper end of the needle eyliiideriand to engage the baeksof the'neetlles'. 'Fliese pinsl are preferably arl'ingd' in vtwo staggered ro\vs,`as indirated in Fig. 5, .so that they rollettively oeeupy theentire eircumtr'reneo ot the' rylinder.

lVhen thnsarranged", the edges' "ol the pinsv aretithe'r substanlialiy iii-line or overlap,

soithat some Spart of the louter end ot one or more-ot' the pins will register with earfh'needlegthns insuring the engagement of' each needle b v one or more ot' the presaingJpiii-z, even in the finest ,gage machine.

Aa shown in Fie'. .'i, the, pins correspond in nlnnher to the needles. and are arranged in line with the needles. rlhit-i is not essential. however. as. the size of the pins maybe inet-eased. with a roi-responding deerease in the number ot' pins, and each pin may be of suliirient size to engage two or lnonxltletlles. 'l`he needle pressing pins are forced outward at the pressing point by a ram '153 over which their rear ends rideI during the travel oll the neeole cylinder. As shown, this earn is torna-d on the outer side of a tube 16 whieh extrnde down through the, needle cylinder` and is provided at its lower end with a has; 1T arranged to engage one or the other ot' wo stop platel 1H and 1S), which are addin-tablv ser-armi to a tixed disk Ztl. During rotan-.v knitting' fie needle pressing earn 15 i.- nii-,intained in proper relation to the stitch ram "f liv the enig,` gli-nient oi' the in;r 17 with the fopl -1 the am t5 iritmi to eotiperate tirst, with one atitrh rant and then with the other by the I'rirtional Managt-nient ot' the pins 14 'with the ram. the` lug 17 shifting from one top to the other in the same manner that thi.l web holder rant shifts inthis type of machine.

ln order that the needles which are in the inaetive series during reciproeatory knitting alndl not be pressed outward hy the 4cam 15 and pino-14, amlfthnsinterfere with the proper lead of the yarn to the first needles in the aetive serien, the needles are provided with reresses ,21 at points which register with tinA as when the needles are in the ina *te s. rw.I The result is that the pins wh ,i would manually art upon the inactive needles move lorwardidly into the recesses awthese needlee pass the j'iressing point.

While it is' preferred to employ the speeie eonstrurtion and arrangement of parts shown and deserihethA particularly in em-` bodying theinvention in a' 'rotary cylinder spring needle machine of the type illustrated, it will be understood that this e'orilstruction and arrangement is not essential to the broader features of theinvention, and

may he varied and modified as found desir-` able or best suited to the construction or 'type of niaehine inwhich the invention is to nation, a series of 'independently operated ltnring' reeiproeatorv knitting` obj eet lop llt)

apringneedles, a heard engaging press-er in front of the series at the pressing point.

transversely movable needle pressers haelt ot the` series of needles, and means for Jforcing the needle pressersjorward at the pressin peint.

2. A knitting machinefliavin in combination, a series of independent y operated prlng needles,`a beard -engaging presser in ront of the series at the pres'smg point, a series of reciprocating pressers arranged 4haelt of the needles, and a" cam for advanc ing the pressers at the pressing oint to bend the needles outward against t e beard engaging presser. A nittin machine havin ,in co b1- nation, a nee le c linder, in pende tl operated spring nee les mounted ii( the cy inder an outside beard engaging presser, radially movable needle ressers inside the needles and means for aFvancing the pressers at the preing point.

4. A knitting michine, having, int/combination, a needle c linder, independently operated spring needles mounted in the cyl inder, n relatively stationary presserl ring surrounding the needles, needle pr ssers mounted for radial mvenient inthe cy linder back of the needles, and means for adf'vancing the pressers at the pressing point` 5. A knitting machine, having, in co'mbination, a rotary needle cylinder, indepgndently operated spring needles mounte in the cylinder, an outside beard engaging presser, radially movable needle pressers 'nside the needles, and a relatively stationry cam atI the pressing point for a vancing the pressers.

6. A knittin machine, having, in com fination, a needle support, a series of in ependently operated s ring needles mounted 1n the support, a relativel stationary presser plate in front of the nee les, needle pressers mounted to reciprocate in the support back of the needles, and means for advancin the needle pressers to press the beards o vthe needles against the presser plate at the pressif ing point. h .gA knitting machine, having, 1n combination, a need e support, a series o1".inde-v pendently operated spring needles mounted 1n the support,a presser plate in front of the needles, a series of needle presser pressingupoint.

v.p ressingtfioint te,`

ins mounted in the sunport back of the needles, and a cam for a vancing the pins at the s. a min machine, havingnn umbination, a need e c linder, a series of independentlyY o era spring Vneedles mounted 1n the c in er, a beard engaging presser 1n front o the needles at the pressing point, means active on thsaotive needles at the press them outward against the bear presser, and inactive on the needles `when raised into the inactive series.

9. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, a series of radially movable pressers mounted in the cylinder, a series of 'spring needles mounted in the cyl support back of the nee inclgrjor movement into or out ,of active r lation to the knitting cams, and provided with recesses registering with the pressers' when in inactive relation, a cam for advanc ingethc pressers at the pressing point 'and a ard engaging resser against which the beards are pressed) by the advance of the needle presser-s.

10. A knitting machine, having, in combi nation, a needle cylinder, a series of radially sliding needle pressing ins in the cylinder, a series of spring needles mounted in the cylinder, a cam for forcing the pins outward at the` pressing point, and a beard presser against which the needles are forced by the pins.

11. A knitting machine, having, in combi-' nation, a needle cylinder, a series of radially sliding pressing pins in the cylinder a series of spring needles mounted in -the cylinder a cam for forcing the pins outward at the pressing point, means for shifting the cam with relation to the knittin cams during reciprocatory knitting, and eard pressing means against which the needles are forced by the needle pressers.

12. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, a series of radially sliding needle pressing pins in the cylinder, a series of spring needles mounted in the cylinder, a cam for forcing the ins outward at the pressing point, a tube witlliin the cylinder carrying the cam, a lug `on the lower end of the tube, and stops forpositioning the tube and cam with relation to the stitch cams. j

13. A knitting machine, having, in comblnation, a'needle support, independently operatedspring needles mounted in the support, a series of needle resser pins mounted in the support iback otP the needles and arranged to collectivel occupy a space ext/end ing from oniend o the series of needles to the other means for frcing the ,ins outward at the pressing point, and a rd engaging resse? pressed y th 'vence of the pins. 14. A knitt ngmachine, having, in combination, a' needle,su port, independently operated springI need es mounted inthe su port, a series of presser (pins mounted in t e les andV arranged in 'staggered rows with the ed es of the pins substantially in line or over apping, a cam for advancing the pins at the presser point, and a beard engaging presser a inst which the needles are force y the a vance of the ins. l? 1 5. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, independently operated needles mounted 1n the cylinder, radiall movable needle pressers inside the need es, and a cam for advancing the pressers to outwardly bend the needles at a predetermined point.

16. A knitting machine, having, in combination. u. noodle, cylinder, a1 serios of indopendvntly oporntod noodlvs mounted in tln` cylinder, n series of radially sliding noodle pressing pins mounted in the cylinder. nml u cmn for advancing fliv pins to bend the needles outward a( n |,nodolorn1iliod point.

17. A knitting machine, having, in combi- .nntioln a needle cylinder, n Series of radially sliding noodle pressing pins in the cylinder, 10

n serios of needles n'ionntml in the cylinder, n mln for forcing thev pins outward, u tube within Lilo cylinder carrying* tho cum, n lug on Ilm lnwvr end of tho tube, und stops for positioninpr the tubo und cum with relation 15 to thv slitrh (ruins.

MAX. o. MILLERI4 

